Breaking the Wall

Week starting Oct 10, 2010

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Location:

Orem,UT,United States

Member Since:

Jan 27, 1986

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Olympic Trials Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Best marathon: 2:23:57 (2007, St. George). Won the Top of Utah Marathon twice (2003,2004). Won the USATF LDR circuit in Utah in 2006.

Draper Days 5 K 15:37 (2004)

Did not know this until June 2012, but it turned out that I've been running with spina bifida occulta in L-4 vertebra my entire life, which explains the odd looking form, struggles with the top end speed, and the poor running economy (cannot break 16:00 in 5 K without pushing the VO2 max past 75).  

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for the US Olympic Trials. With the standard of 2:19 on courses with the elevation drop not exceeding 450 feet this is impossible unless I find an uncanny way to compensate for the L-4 defect with my muscles. But I believe in miracles.

Long-Term Running Goals:

2:08 in the marathon. Become a world-class marathoner. This is impossible unless I find a way to fill the hole in L-4 and make it act healthy either by growing the bone or by inserting something artificial that is as good as the bone without breaking anything important around it. Science does not know how to do that yet, so it will take a miracle. But I believe in miracles.

Personal:

I was born in 1973. Grew up in Moscow, Russia. Started running in 1984 and so far have never missed more than 3 consecutive days. Joined the LDS Church in 1992, and came to Provo, Utah in 1993 to attend BYU. Served an LDS mission from 1994-96 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Got married soon after I got back. My wife Sarah and I are parents of eleven children: Benjamin, Jenny, Julia, Joseph, Jacob, William, Stephen, Matthew,  Mary,  Bella.  and Leigha. We home school our children.

I am a software engineer/computer programmer/hacker whatever you want to call it, and I am currently working for RedX. Aside from the Fast Running Blog, I have another project to create a device that is a good friend for a fast runner. I called it Fast Running Friend.

Favorite Quote:

...if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie

 

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 25.00 Year: 668.87
Saucony Type A Lifetime Miles: 640.15
Bare Feet Lifetime Miles: 450.37
Nike Double Stroller Lifetime Miles: 124.59
Brown Crocs 4 Lifetime Miles: 1334.06
Amoji 1 Lifetime Miles: 732.60
Amoji 2 Lifetime Miles: 436.69
Amoji 3 Lifetime Miles: 380.67
Lopsie Sports Sandals Lifetime Miles: 818.02
Lopsie Sports Sandals 2 Lifetime Miles: 637.27
Iprome Garden Clogs Lifetime Miles: 346.18
Beslip Garden Clogs Lifetime Miles: 488.26
Joybees 1 Lifetime Miles: 1035.60
Madctoc Clogs Lifetime Miles: 698.29
Blue Crocs Lifetime Miles: 1164.32
Kimisant Black Clogs Lifetime Miles: 720.62
Black Crocs 2023 Lifetime Miles: 1312.70
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
73.8010.000.002.7086.50
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 86.50
Night Sleep Time: 45.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 45.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. We had a fast and testimony meeting. At the beginning a baby blessing.  For some reason I thought our friend was blessing the twins, so I was looking for the second baby, but there was none.

The lesson in Sunday School was on family responsibilities. The lesson in the Elder's Quorum was on the church of Jesus Christ today.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.300.000.000.7015.00

A.M. Ran with Mike, total of 9.5. Did a micro-fartlek. 1 minute fast, then 35 seconds fast, then a quarter in 66.7.  Also ran 300 in 59 catching up to a guy named Jesse. Turned out he had served a mission in Ethiopia. Ran 0.5 with Jacob, Jenny, and Julia. Jenny and Julia did a total of 2. Jacob's time was 4:22, Jenny and Julia surged ahead at the end. 3 with Benjamin in 26:41.

P.M. 2 to Dr. Brady's and back. Benjamin ran 0.5 with Joseph.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 15.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.5012.50

A.M. Ran with Mike, and some with Kevin and his baby in the stroller. Total of 9 miles. Did 4 pickups of about 33 seconds at an aggressive pace. 0.5 with Jacob in 4:26. 3 more with Benjamin in 26:01. Jenny and Julia ran 2.

P. M. Benjamin ran 0.5 with Joseph in 4:35.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M. Ran with Mike. Total of 9. 3 more with Benjamin. Jenny and Julia ran 2, including 0.5 with Jacob and Joseph.

 

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.500.000.001.5012.00

A.M. Ran with Mike. Total of 9. Did a mile pickup in 5:18 + 0.5 pickup in 2:39.5. 3 more with Benjamin. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Joseph and Jacob.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M. 9 with Mike. 3 with Benjamin in 22:11. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Joseph and Jacob.

 

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.0010.000.000.0023.00

A.M. 20 with Mike in 2:09:56 to Bridal Veil Falls and back. First 10 in 1:11:19 to warm up, and the last 10 fast in 58:37. Sarah and Julia made a strap for me to wear around my right big toe and the toe right next to it (index toe?) as an experiment to see if it will change my form for the better. I've been wearing it this week and it felt good, but today was the real test, and I think it went well. I opened the tempo with 5:35 pace thinking I was only running maybe 5:45-5:50. Then I noticed that the split was fast, and that Mike was struggling, so we eased it off to about 5:50 - 6:00. With 4 miles to go Mike struggled more, so I moved up front and had him low-five me once every so often. With 1.5 to go he said he had zero energy left. I told him he had slightly more than zero, and just push without fear. He was able to speed up to 5:52 average for the last mile, and our last two quarters were 87, and 85. I was happy that sub-6:00 pace was easy enough that I could do some motivational pacing at it. And for Mike this was a huge breakthrough, as he had never run this fast for the whole 20, and particularly the last 10 miles of a 20.

P.M. 3 with Benjamin in 24:54.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 23.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
73.8010.000.002.7086.50
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 86.50
Night Sleep Time: 45.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 45.00
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